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Monday, 25 October 2010

The Lyrics from Shame the latest song from Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow starts with the words...

....."There are 3 versions of the story - mine, and yours and then the truth"

This is something that is often forgotten when we communicate with others. It's so easy to act and speak as if our 'story' is true. It's certainly our reality but it may not be the other persons - and neither interpretations may be strictly accurate.

There's a few things to consider when exploring the 'truth' of a situation:

1. We can't possibly take in 100% of the data available to us.2. We therefore have to filter the data available.3. The filters we use will be based on our Values, Beliefs, Memories and Preferences.4. This process of filtering results in Deletion, Distortion or Generalisation of the situation.

On other words our representation of the situation is as imperfect as the next persons. The key in any communication is remembering this fact and ensuring that before any action is taken that common understanding has been achieved. Otherwise what you think you've asked someone to do may not be what gets delivered.

AlisonEnabling purchasing relationships to understand all versions of the story.

Wednesday, 13 October 2010

I heard an interview with Howard Jacobson the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2010 as I drove home last night. After being an early favourite to win he'd been relegated by the bookies to the bottom of the list. As a result of no longer having an expectation of winning he commented that he'd really enjoyed the evening - eating, talking, drinking etc. It came as a HUGE surprise therefore when he was announced as the winner.

I wonder how often our expectations - whether good or bad - get in the way of us enjoying the moment. Howard certainly suggested that if he'd know he was a possible winner he'd not have enjoyed the evening. It's sad that such a great day might have been marred by the expectations weighing so heavily.

On a similar vein my personal trainer had me doing 10/20/30/30/20/10 repetitions of a number of exercises this morning. The dread started with my first repetition - ie before the effects of the physical exertion kicked in. I certainly wasn't happy on one exercise when I thought I was on my 2nd set of 30 to find I was only on my first.

I can think of many other instances where my expectations - good or bad - have seriously impacted my life up until an outcome is known - and who knows may have even negatively impacted the outcome itself.

My call to action today is therefore for us to release our expectations and experience the moment and lets notice what we notice.

Wednesday, 6 October 2010

A small thing but the cashier in M&S commented on how much she also liked a juice I was buying today. I realised in that moment the difference it makes being sold something by someone who has passion for the product.

I have repeatedly told clients that they should ensure the work they do involves something they enjoy, are good at and have passion for. In this context passion isn't just about liking the product or service but being passionate about the difference it makes and being even more passionate about why the difference matters. I usually ask "what do you get on your soap box about?"

The other week I realised whilst I'm good and enjoy helping people get on track and truly believe we should all get out of bed with enthusiasm for the day ahead I don't get on my soap box if you don't.

So I wondered what I did get on my soap box about - of course others could tell me - purchasing and business behaviours! After all I've worked in business within Purchasing/Procurement since I left uni! More and more I can be repeatedly heard saying we need more authenticity, integrity, trust and honesty in business. Because this truly does connect with my passion this purpose provides the motivation every day to want to make a difference.

So having had a dual personality for the last four years and having spent energy trying to keep my 2 halves (Purchasing and Personal development) separate I realise it's time to be authentic in all that I do and bring the two together. So from now on I will be concentrating my efforts on Transforming Purchasing Relationships - those with yourself, as a team and with suppliers.

I'm sure my observations in blogs will continue but I'll be as interested as you to see how they change now I'm no longer schizophrenic!

What do you get on your soap box about? And how can this inspire you every day to make the changes you want to see in the world?

"Alison brings a unique blend of effective facilitation skills together with an in depth understanding of the corporate world. This enable her to subtly lead executives through the frameworks for change process that eliminates the barriers to moving forward and enables both individuals and teams to find the right track to improve performance, results and personal wellbeing. I can highly recommend Alison to leaders who are looking for, and are prepared to explore something that is different but is so very effective.”

Drew Pryde, Chairman
The Scottish Institute for Business Leaders (SIBL)

“Alison has a strong passion and energy for what she does which was demonstrated in her ability to run an innovative session for my team that identified what was holding us back from being a high performing team. This ability, when coupled with her capability to bring fun into the session, was a powerful tool for helping my team realise their full potential.”

Cara Murphy, Senior Category Manager
Lloyds Banking Group

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"Landscaping Your Life is a brilliant approach, heartily recommended. Alison has extraordinary energy and an almost spooky sense of where people are and what they need. I have learned/ worked/ played alongside Alison for more than a decade and found her insights always useful"